I Like My Men Like My Tea: Subtle and Strong
by Darkargo
Summary: She didn't know what was harder: Maintaining a cohesive working unit, or keeping tabs on a man who fell asleep on the floor.
1. Chapter 1

It was Say'ri who got her hooked on tea. The tired tactician took a tentative sip of the hot drink and leaned back in her chair. This perhaps was one of the few moments of the day where she had complete peace. She had discovered that rising early, even earlier than Sir Frederick, Angelina was guaranteed some free time. Granted, she had to go to bed early, which was an issue because of her position. It was common for her to be up late in the evening, pouring over maps and strategies, trying to drum out possible plans for future battles. Her job was demanding and exhausting, but she somehow managed to keep everyone alive. That fact alone warranted her some time to herself.

As she took another sip, Angelina closed her eyes and relished the taste of the tea. It was one of Say'ri's favorite blends. The tea had a rich, earthy flavor and left behind a pleasant after taste. The tactician originally hated the blend, only after drinking it several times did she get used to it. When the others discovered Angelina had hopped abroad the 'tea'wagon, they all offered her samples from their personal stashes. Suffice to say, she was addicted to the drink.

"Angelina, are you up?" A voice rippled from outside the tent. Unprepared, the sudden question nearly caused the tactician to topple out of her seat. Her hand trembled as she placed the cup down. "Y-yes, Say'ri, I'm up." She clutched the area over her heart.

"Am I permitted to enter?"

"Of course, come on in." She watched the swordswoman duck into her tent. "You want some tea? I boiled some water a while ago, but it still should be pretty hot."

Say'ri dipped her head politely, "I will gladly have some." While Angelina busied herself with the tea, she noticed Say'ri seemed to be in a daze. Actually, the blade princess had been acting funny ever since they recruited Yen'fay. Of course, he wasn't the same Yen'fay who died in the Demon's Ingle. He hailed from the supposedly the same future as Lucina and the other children. Apparently, Say'ri had died in the future instead of Yen'fay, which was the reason why they found him roaming the Chon'sin graves. Despite this, he made no effort to reach out to his sister. Say'ri had desperately tried to speak with Yen'fay, but he somehow managed to elude her. It must have frustrated her to no end knowing that her brother was so close, yet so far from her. Angelina was surprised that Say'ri hadn't managed to corner him and demand an explanation.

"…So what brings you to my humble home?" Angelina sat on the cot as she handed Say'ri the warm cup. Say'ri gazed into the tea for some time, moving the cup in a circular motion with her hands. She sighed before speaking up,

"I've come to ask for a favor."

"Oh?" The violet-haired tactician perched her chin on the palm of her hand. "Well, what can I do for you?"

Say'ri suddenly shook her head. "Never mind, 'twas a foolish thing for me to ask."

Angelina scooted to the end of the cot and leaned forward in attempt to make eye contact with Say'ri. "Come on, tell meeeeeeeeeeee." She whined like an impatient puppy. It was something she had seen Lissa do before when she really wanted something. The tactic knew it didn't work all the time, but she wasn't trying to win Say'ri over. Instead, she was attempting to make her smile or at least get her to stop staring at her tea. Since it was uncharacteristic of her to speak in such a manner, Say'ri did face Angelina and furrowed her brow.

"…And what exactly are you trying to do?"

Angelina puffed her cheeks out and rolled over on her bed, stretching her arms out. "I want to help you, Say'ri, because you've helped me. But mostly, you're my friend," She smiled at the upside down Say'ri. "And I want to do you a favor."

Say'ri's eyes flitted from hers to the cup in her hands. Her chest heaved a massive sigh and she bowed her head. "I am not sure how to phrase this…" She sat in the chair. "I wanted to ask you if you could watch Yen'fay for me."

Angelina sat up on her bed, resting her hands on her knees. Indeed, it was an odd request. The gears in her mind were already turning as to how to fulfill Say'ri's wish. "I know 'tis a strange thing to ask for," Her friend's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I worry over him, even though he shows no interest in me." Say'ri sipped the tea and nodded, pleased with its taste. She looked up at the tactician, her eyes suddenly grave. "If 'tis not something you are comfortable with doing, I understand if you decline."

" Oh no," She waved her left hand in a shooing manner. "It's not a problem; I've been meaning to work with Yen'fay anyway." He was one of few who didn't like working in a big group. While fighting alone was fine and all, they all needed to work as a single cohesive unit. Her strategies wouldn't work if all the pieces weren't in the right places. "So don't worry, I have it covered."

Say'ri let out a sigh of relief, "Many thanks, my friend. You have no idea the weight that has been lifted off my breast."

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you want me to look after him?" Angelina reached for her cup on the table. "I don't think I will be very good at protecting him."

The dark-haired princess laughed and slapped her knee in response. "No, I suppose you're right about that." Her smile faded. "My brother needs support, though I do not know how to give it to him. " Say'ri's grip on the tea cup tightened. "I know he needs companionship and I have tried many times to give it to him, but I have failed each time." Angelina felt something twist in her stomach. Perhaps she should have asked this question before she had accepted Say'ri's request. It wasn't that she didn't want to do it, she wasn't sure if she was the right person to take on this task. Angelina really didn't think of herself as a socially adept person, but if Say'ri wanted her for the job, then who was she to argue with? "I'll do my best." She managed to smile at Say'ri . Dear gods, what on earth was she getting herself into?

* * *

It wasn't long before the rest of the camp was up and moving. Say'ri departed shortly after their conversation since she was assigned scout duty for today. Angelina didn't muck around her tent for very long and quickly strapped on her Hero's armor. Risen were growing increasingly aggressive by the day and she didn't want to be caught unprepared. Despite having been one of the first to rise, she was still a little sleepy, yawning frequently as she went through camp. She was heading toward the training grounds in an attempt to find Yen'fay. Angelina had heard that Yen'fay tended to practice his swordplay in the morning, so it was worth a shot to check. After maneuvering through the maze of tents, she eventually stumbled upon her destination.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite tactician."

She gave an upwards nod as she greeted Basilio, "Good morning to you, too." Angelina gingerly rubbed her face with her gauntlet covered hand. The proud Khan stood beside her, resting his callused hands on the top of his axe. The two of them were standing at the edge of the training grounds, which was nothing more than a field of grass with patches of dirt in between. There was more fog than usual this morning, so it was hard to see exactly who was using it. "So, Angie, have you come here to accept my offer?" Basilio smirked at the drowsy tactician. She rolled her eyes.

"Did you know you are the third person to ask me to be their tactician?" The Khan's smug look was wiped off his face. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to mention this fact. She didn't need a bunch of well-trained men fighting over her as tactician. The idea was far from romantic seeing that they would all probably kill each other and leave her without any employer. Yes, it would be good for her to not say anything else about the matter. Before he could ask, Lon'qu sidled up by the two of them and said gruffly, "Khan Basilio, you wanted to spar with me this morning."

Basilio guffawed and slapped his hand on Lon'qu's shoulder. "Aye, I did, didn't I? Well, I won't keep you waiting." He beamed at the tactician. "We'll talk more about your new job later." The Khan laughed loudly before taking to the field with Lon'qu. Soon, the two partners were swallowed up by the morning mist, leaving Angie alone.

She huffed and skewered the damp earth with her sword. It seemed that Yen'fay wouldn't be training this morning. He possibly could be out on the field now and she simply couldn't see him, but she doubted that. Basilio and Lon'qu were all but invisible to her and she could hear their weapons clashing and their voices occasionally. Guess this meant she had to walk over to his tent and talk to him. Angelina wasn't comfortable doing that. His tent was his space and she was well aware that he didn't like large groups. She didn't want to invade his personal space any more than she had to.

" 'Tis a fine morning, is it not?" Angelina almost jumped out of her armor and her skin. What was it with these two sneaking up on her? The slightly spooked tactician turned around to face Yen'fay and smiled wearily.

"Y-yes, it's a good morning." She stuttered. It was going to be a minute before she composed herself. Thankfully Yen'fay didn't seem too interested in small talk. His eyes were set on the misty field. "Have you an opponent to spar with?"

She shook her head and pulled her blade out of the ground. "No, but I wouldn't mind sparring with you, if that's what you're asking." The mist had begun to clear up on the field as the sun cut through the dense fog. She could see Basilio's and Lon'qu's dark outlines dancing around one another, their blades catching the light occasionally. "Unless, you're going to practice alone, then I don't want to disturb you."

"I never once said you were disturbing me." He said flatly, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "If you are free this morning, Angelina, I would like the honor of sparring with you." Yen'fay observed the two fighting on the field.

The tactician dipped her head politely, "I would very much appreciate practicing with you." Yen'fay merely nodded in response and took to the field. She was a tad excited about training with him since it established a base for relationship between them. This meant keeping an eye on him would be much easier in the long run.

The two of them made sure they had ample distance between them and the others using the field. Not that space would be much of an issue, seeing that Basilio and Lon'qu were rarely a few yards apart from each other. Still, it wouldn't hurt to give them some space. As they took their positions, she realized that neither of them had picked up training blades. While not everyone liked using dull or wooden weapons during practice, she certainly was more comfortable using them. It was a little late to ask for blunt weapons now since they were already out here. She hoped she didn't get stabbed by accident. Once she drew her blade, Yen'fay wasted no time engaging with her. Angelina nearly yelped as he rushed toward her like an arrow flying from a bow. She had never seen anyone move so fast. The tactician only managed to step back before he knocked the sword from her hand and thrust his blade at her abdomen. The wind was knocked out of her as she fell back on the ground.

"Too slow." He murmured, leveling the tip of his sword with Angelina's eyes. A sharp pain throbbed where Yen'fay hit her armor. She could already feel a bruise coming on. Yen'fay made no effort to help her off the ground, but he did fetch her sword.

"Is it a bad time to ask for you to partner up with me for the next battle?" She had just proved herself to be a less than capable partner, so she didn't know what her chances were for him to accept. Angelina hastily stood up and wiped the bits of grass and dirt plastered on her armor. Yen'fay, who patiently held her sword, titled his head in thought. "I mean, I understand if you say 'no'." She took her weapon from him. "I don't want to slow you down, or anything." He was quiet for a few moments before addressing her question.

"I accept your offer, Angelina, as long as you do not mind my critique of your skills." He sheathed his sword and folded his arms over his breastplate.

She nodded promptly."No, anything that can make me better as a warrior would be much appreciated."

Yen'fay bowed politely and exited the field. She was relieved as well as embarrassed that their sparring match did not last long.

The tactician didn't linger too long on the field after that. Aside from the bitter sting of humiliation, her abdomen was really starting to hurt. She clutched her stomach, groaning softly from the persistent pain.

"Angie, are you alright?" She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. The tactician turned her head and grimaced at Sumia. "Have you been attacked?"

"…No," Angelina moaned. "I just got done sparring with Yen'fay."

Sumia started to guide her toward Lissa's tent. "And how'd that go?" Angelina made a face in response and the Pegasus rider frowned. "Oh, I see." Angelina noted there was mud on Sumia's brow. It seemed that Sumia had tripped a few times this morning. "Well, I know you can beat him!"

"Uh huh, tell that to my pride." She grunted. Hopefully she still would be able to fight after this. She wouldn't have been surprised if Yen'fay bruised more than her skin and her delicate pride. Maybe he ruptured something and that was why it hurt so much. "Sumia, I think I'm dying."

"W-what?!" Her voice jumped a few octaves. "We're almost there!" Angie wanted to say that it was a joke, but it was too late now. Sumia was already riled up and panicking. Good gods, what had she done. "Lissa! Angie's dying!" The dark flier managed to shout before plowing face first into the ground, nearly taking the tactician with her. "I am not dying." She huffed, attempting to pull Sumia off the ground. "I was EXAGERRATING, Sumia."

"But you got stabbed!" Sumia gasped as she pushed herself off the ground.

"YOU GOT STABBED?!" Now Lissa joined in. The young war cleric marched over, clutching her staff tightly. Angelina opened her mouth to protest, when Sumia and Lissa began to unfasten her armor. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She clamped her sides with her hands, feebly trying to prevent her armor falling off. "I-it's no big deal, guys. Just wave the staff around and be done with it." Lissa pouted at her and stuck her hands on her hips, "But what if you're hurt reallllllllly bad? How am I supposed to treat you if I haven't seen the wound?" Lissa had a point. Angelina begrudgingly dropped her arms to her sides to allow her two friends to take off her armor. The tactician squeezed her eyes closed as Lissa examined the wound. "Is it bad?"

The war cleric hissed at the sight of slowly spreading bruise. "That looks nasty." Lissa raised her staff over her head, chanting an incantation as she began to heal the internal wound. "You need to fight with practice weapons next time." She glared at Angelina, who slowly opened her eyes. "That's what I tell everybody, but do they listen to me? Nope." The tactician gingerly touched the spot on her abdomen where the bruise used to be. The spot still stung, but it was nowhere near the pain she experienced earlier.

"Thanks, Lissa."

Lissa stuck her finger in her face, "Don't do it again, Angie." The tactician held her hands up and nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, alright, I promise." She crossed her heart to prove her point.

Lissa rolled her eyes, "You're just as bad as Chrom." She and Sumia began to reattach Angie's armor. "How about we go get something to eat after this? I'm starving!" That didn't sound like bad idea; after all, Angelina was running on tea she had earlier. Once her armor settled firmly over her torso, Lissa suddenly linked arms with her and Sumia and pulled them out of the tent.

"Sooo, what are you two doing today?" Lissa chirped between the two taller women. "I'm in charge of healing today and I have to mentor Brady for a few hours." She shrugged. "Nothing too bad."

Sumia cleared her throat, "I have to run to the market in town today. Hopefully I won't trip while I'm carrying the supplies." She laughed nervously. "I'm bringing Frederick with me this time, so maybe he can transport the stuff back to camp."

"I really wish I could do that." Lissa pouted, pursing her lips. "But Chrom won't allow it."

Angelina snickered. "Well, yeah, because you buy way too much stuff." The tactician laughed even louder when Lissa sharply nudged Angie with her elbow.

"What are you doing today, Angie?" The war cleric changed the subject. It took a moment for Angelina to respond since she couldn't stop laughing.

After wiping the tears from her eyes, she answered, "Depending on what the scouts bring back, I might go fight some Risen today."

"Who are you going to partner up with?" Lissa leaned against the tactician and batted her eye lashes.

She was trying to get out of healing duty and Angelina knew it. "Uh, I was going to ask Yen'fay to come along." Lissa wrinkled her nose, possibly because she was upset she wasn't being taken along.

"Wait, but didn't he stab you earlier?" Sumia cocked her head in confusion. Lissa bobbed her head back upon hearing more of the story. She probably was even more upset now since she didn't hear whole thing. No doubt she was going to press Angelina for questions over breakfast.

The war cleric wrinkled her brow and scrunched her nose, "That must have been an awkward question to ask."

Angelina groaned tiredly, "It was a little at the time, but it's fine. I mean, he's okay with it." She frowned. "Although he probably thinks I'm more of a liability than an asset."

"I wouldn't say that." Sumia said as they slipped into the mess tent. "He seems like an understanding person."

"He wasn't very 'understanding' when he stabbed Angie." Lissa snorted, still bitter over Angelina's lack of caution. "He didn't even escort you to me." She unlinked her arms and stormed over to where the food was being served. Sumia sighed, shaking her head before taking a seat at the table.

"Want me to grab your food?" The tactician leaned against the table. "…I saw what happened the other day." Sumia blushed at her comment.

"You wouldn't mind?"

Angelina shook her head, "Not at all. I'll be back in a bit." Sumia smiled at her as Angie left to join the line. She stretched her arms over her head, popping some of her joints. It was going to be a very long day and ache in her stomach throbbed in agreement.

**(Obviously, I don't own own Fire Emblem Awakening or its characters. I'm pretty pissed that several characters don't have a lot of supports and I'm going to try really hard to compensate for that in this story. Anywho, a big shout out for Singer of Water, who reads my trash-writing and gives me pointers. She's real great and deserves the entire pack of gold stars. Thanks for stopping by! ~Darkargo)**


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm really tired of porridge." Angelina glumly poked the soppy substance in the bowl. She knew she shouldn't be picky, but she wanted to eat something that didn't disagree with her stomach.

"Then why don't you cook?" Lissa quipped. She was well aware of Angelina's ability to 'cook'. The tactician narrowed her eyes and flicked her spoon at the war cleric across from her, who flailed her arms in response. It was safe to say neither one of them would be eating the strange, grey substance. Their helpings would most likely be passed over to Stahl, who was devouring his meal like a starved dog. Angelina briefly looked over at Sumia and sighed.

"Sumia,"

She looked up from her book, "Hmm?"

"You need to eat, remember?"

Sumia's eyes widened before setting the book on her lap. "Oh, I'm almost forgot! I'm so sorry. I was just getting to the good part." The Pegasus rider eyed the porridge and hesitantly tried it. Angie looked over at Lissa to see her leaning over the table, clutching her staff tightly. After the group's collected experience with terrible cooking, Lissa's reaction was warranted.

"It's not terrible," Sumia rested her spoon on the table. "It just needs seasoning…a lot of seasoning." As much as the entire crew wanted pepper and salt, they were out of the question. Purchasing ingredients like those were expensive already in small quantities; now imagine the price after buying them in bulk. It wasn't uncommon for the Shepherds to rely on some of nature's 'seasonings', but that often required time no one had. At least the food was edible.

The tactician groaned before taking a few bites of her food. Sumia was right about it needing more flavor. Something very cold suddenly brushed against her mind and she sat bolt upright. It was like she had gotten stuck by a pin. Her bizarre reaction nabbed both Sumia's and Lissa's attention.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you need me to heal you?"

Angelina shook her head and stood up. "I'm fine, I just need to go outside for a few minutes." The tactician was trembling as she left the tent. There was only one cause of these abnormal reactions. "Tharja," She rubbed her arms in attempts to soothe her shaking. " We talked about this. You don't randomly hex me while I'm eating."

The sorceress peered from around the tent and glowered, "But I was WORRIED about you!" She hissed, scuttling over to Angelina's side. "After what happened to you on the field, I thought you were gravely injured." Tharja pulled her tome even closer to her chest. "I even hexed that fool Sumia so that she wouldn't trip until she got you to Lissa." That explained…a lot.

Angelina winced, recovering from the side effects of the hex. "I really appreciate what you were trying to do, Tharja, but you don't have to take care of me."

The Plegian woman leaned in Angie's personal space. "I heard about Say'ri's request." She whispered. "I can help you with that."

The tactician's eyes widened, "No, you're not going to 'help' me, Tharja." She knew exactly what Tharja meant. Angelina didn't like the thought of having someone being made to like her. She also didn't know how Say'ri and Yen'fay would react to him being hexed constantly. "Could you not tell anyone about what've you heard?" While Tharja couldn't promise not to hex someone, she was able to keep a secret, well, only Angelina's secrets.

Tharja nodded her head and smiled grimly at her. "Anything for you, Angelina." The sorceress vanished into the shadows, taking Angelina's strange side effects with her. Feeling slightly better, Angelina returned to the mess tent to finish her sad breakfast.

* * *

"I found it odd that I did not see you this morning and now I know why." Yen'fay stood in the entrance of the tent. "You were quite excited about the match, I did not think your joy would drive you to this state." He cocked his head and grinned. "I believe the _Radiant Hero_ has met his match."

Priam groggily raised his head and squinted at the swordsman, "Close the damn flap," He buried his face in his pillow and uttered, "It's too damn early."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't stay up so late," Yen'fay released that flap. "Or drink so much." He wrinkled his nose. Priam reeked of late night adventures at the local pub. Hopefully, for his sanity's sake, Priam won some event. Yen'fay had learned not to use the term 'defeat' in Priam's presence. "Did you win?" The Radiant Hero snapped his head up, glaring at Yen'fay with misty eyes.

"What do you think?"

Yen'fay shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure if you would call this 'winning', Priam." He was prepared for the hero to make some snide comment, but Priam groaned and rubbed his face. "Would you like me to make you some tea? It should help with your condition."

Priam sat up slowly on the bed and muttered under his breath. No doubt he had a horrible headache. "…Whatever works, Yen'fay." He clutched his stomach. "Good gods, I'm going to be sick." Wordlessly, Yen'fay helped Priam to his feet, putting his drunken companion's arm around his shoulder. "Ugh, what are you doing?" Priam's words were slurred as he wobbled on his legs.

"I'm taking you to a healer." He wrapped his arm around Priam. "Can you walk?" The hero closed his eyes and nodded, bracing himself for the light outside. Yen'fay was quite surprised that his friend didn't protest against going. He must have been more intoxicated than he thought. Slowly, the odd pair staggered out the tent and made their way toward Lissa's tent.

Priam started to complain, "You're walking too fast."

"Would you prefer if I carried you?" He stopped to let Priam consider this option. Yen'fay had no qualms carrying Priam, but his friend had quite a sense of pride. The fact that he was allowing Yen'fay to publicly tote him over to the healer was astounding. Of course, there was only so much Priam could take.

The hero suddenly lurched forward. "No, I can walk." It was hard to match Priam's changing gait since he would stop abruptly. "I'm so hungry." Priam bemoaned as they passed the mess tent. "Wait, let me eat something."

Yen'fay didn't want to argue with Priam, but he certainly didn't know how this was going to work. While he didn't mind pulling Priam along and sobering him up, Yen'fay had his limits, too. He knew Priam wouldn't be capable to feed himself and the task would probably fall on his shoulders. Priam started to drag Yen'fay to the ground. Priam's legs were buckling under his weight. Yen'fay was about to pick up Priam, when a few people exited the tent.

"Oh my gods!" Sumia covered her mouth. "Is he okay?" Her hand wavered as she couldn't decide to pat Priam's head or not. Lissa pushed past Sumia and stood toe-to-toe with Yen'fay.

"Did you stab him?"

Yen'fay didn't know how to respond to her accusation. Where on earth did she get that idea? It took the war cleric a minute to realize that Priam was horribly drunk. "Well," She looked away, slightly embarrassed of her comment. "Let's take him to my tent. I have an extra bed he can lay on."

Priam groaned loudly and struggled to break free from Yen'fay's grasp. "But I'm hungry."

Lissa muttered under breath, lifting her staff above Priam's head. "You can eat when we get to the tent, how's that sound?" Priam murmured something along the lines of 'okay' and hung his head. He slowly began to slide onto the ground causing Yen'fay to grunt under the strain.

"Here," Angelina placed Priam's other arm around her shoulder. "Let's get going." She said softly to Priam. "Come on, big guy, you still can walk."

Lissa marched ahead of the wobbling trio while Sumia hovered behind Angelina. The group was only a few yards from Lissa's tent, when a shadow engulfed them.

"Come quickly!" Cordelia shouted from atop her Pegasus. "There are Risen upon us!" She pointed with her lance, "They are coming from the west! Hurry now!" She spurred her mount and sped off to warn the others.

"Of all the times to get wasted, buddy." Angelina chuckled as they pulled Priam inside the tent. Lissa shook her head as she retrieved her axe. "Don't worry about me, I can handle myself." She made a shooing motion with her hands, "Get going! You know where to find me!" Angelina nodded and tore out of the tent. Yen'fay, however, stood a few moments beside Priam.

"What are you waiting for," Priam opened one eye. "Take 'em down, I'll be fine."

Yen'fay bowed politely to Lissa before exiting the tent. To his amazement, he saw Sumia's black Pegasus spreading its massive wings before leaping into the sky. He noticed the tactician was sitting behind Sumia and remembered her request from earlier. Perhaps she had forgotten or had grown impatient of waiting for him. Whatever her reason, he did not dwell on the thought for long. He, too, sprinted to the west side of camp, eager to make up for the lack of sparring he had this morning.

* * *

"Shit!" Angelina patted her back, feeling for the hilt of her axe. Sumia glanced over her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I forgot my axe." She sighed angrily.

"Do you want me to go back?"

Angelina shook her head. "It's too late for that. I'll just grab one off a Risen." It's where she got her axe last time; maybe she could snag another one during this battle.

The Risen were swarming around the tree line at the edge of camp, making it difficult for Sumia to get close. From what the both of them could see, the Risen were mainly melee units, so Sumia did not have to worry about being pierced by arrows.

"You ready?" The dark flier shouted as Angelina turned herself around so that she sat backwards on the mount. What they were about to do was something incredibly dangerous and stupid, but it worked every time. "Ready!" The tactician gripped the hilt of her sword. The Pegasus tilted back slightly and Angelina slid of its back. She didn't fall too far when her boot smashed into a Risen's skull. It crumbled under her weight and she leapt backwards before she could fall with it. Angelina quickly drew her sword and clashed with one of the nearby Risen. It snarled at her as she struggled to push it back. A gust of wind whipped behind her as Sumia covered her back. She heard her cry out gleefully as the dark flier took down some enemies. Angelina gritted her teeth as she pushed her attacker back. Before it could regain its footing, she lunged forward, piercing its chest. The Risen screeched before dissipating into a black cloud of sparks. Something sliced across her back, grinding against her armor. She whipped around to face her new opponent. Angelina never had the chance to see what her attacker was since something forcibly shoved her out of the way.

"You're safe." Yen'fay appeared by the tactician's side. She nodded her head, a little bewildered at what occurred.

"Thanks." Angelina uttered. Her eyes widened, "Oh, I forgot that I asked you to fight with me. I'm sorry." Yen'fay always seemed to be around during her 'finer' moments. How was this guy supposed to warm up to her if he saw her being a fool half the time?

"Think nothing of it." He said hastily before parrying an attack from one of the Risen. Angelina spotted an axe lying a few feet from her and snatched it off the ground. Judging by its weight and style, she could throw it easily. Angelina spotted a Risen advancing toward her partner and she instinctively threw the axe. The sharp blade cut into the Risen's head and the creature dissolved without so much a shriek. Yen'fay swiftly finished off another foe as Angelina scooped up her axe. "Come," he sheathed his sword. "We press further." The tactician nodded and ran after Yen'fay.

The two of them hadn't gone far when the forest grew eerily silent. Something stirred within Angelina as she scanned the area. The leader of the Risen was close by, not that she knew where it was exactly. She noticed Yen'fay sensed the same thing. His hand grasped the hilt of sword as he took a few steps in front of her. A branch snapped under his foot causing the tactician to jump back. "Sorry." She whispered loudly. Angelina wanted to smack her forehead. She probably had given their position away. Yen'fay didn't comment on her excitability and continued to observe the area. A deep bellow shattered the silence. Several yards in front of them, a massive Risen chief staggered forward, gnashing its teeth together.

"Well," Angelina took her position by Yen'fay's side. "At least we found it." He said nothing and drew his weapon. She guessed this meant he wanted to take this one, not that she blamed Yen'fay. After all, she had proved herself to pretty incompetent next to him. Angelina grasped the hilt of her axe and waited for her partner to engage.

She had never seen anyone move so fast. Angelina realized Yen'fay held back when he sparred with her earlier. The speed he moved at now made him look like he was taking a stroll when they sparred. Her confidence would have plummeted if she hadn't noticed the Risen berserker charging into view. While Yen'fay skewered the Risen Chieftain, Angelina tossed her axe at the berserker. Her weapon lodged itself firmly into its shoulder and managed to slow the creature down a bit. Yen'fay, unfortunately, had gotten his sword stuck in the still 'living' Risen and hastily retreated before it could strike back.

"Here," Angelina tossed him her sword. "You need it more than I do. I can manage…sorta." Yen'fay found this comment slightly amusing and smirked at the tactician. The two of them backed away as the enraged Risen began to close in one them. She was trying to storm up something that wouldn't involve one of them (most likely her) acting like bait to lure one of the Risen away. Angie would have been totally fine to use this strategy, if she had a weapon. Sometimes she wondered why she had this job if she couldn't think too far ahead for herself. She really needed to work on that.

"Special delivery!" A bolt of lightning erupted from behind Risen, tearing through the one with Angelina's axe lodged in its shoulder.

Yen'fay used this distraction to finish his Risen. "Begone!" He shouted as he impaled the Risen several times before it crumbled into dust. A dark knight and his trusty steed happily cantered over to them.

"Yeah, blood!" Henry chimed excitedly. "Did you see that, Angie? I really know how to 'light' things up!" He howled with laughter. "I guess it's a good thing I 'stormed' in at the right time, huh?"

"Thanks, Henry," Angelina patted his horse's snout. "I owe you one." The young man atop the horse giggled. His horse snorted as he pulled back the reins,

"Let's go back now, before Chrom is 'shocked' that you're not around." Angelina didn't know how he managed to stay in saddle because he was laughing so hard. Henry lightly tapped his horse's sides and started to walk back to camp.

"I believe this is yours." Yen'fay extended the silver sword to the tactician. "You have potential, tactician, but you still have quite a ways to go." She bowed her head politely and took her sword. The axe she had snagged earlier was a little too charred to save. "Thank you, Yen'fay, for covering my back."

" 'Tis the least this blade can do." He began to follow Henry. Angelina trotted alongside him. "Y'know," She cocked her head. "You should train with the group some more, I mean, I think we all could learn a lot from you."

He stopped in his tracks and gazed at light peeking through the trees' branches. "Thank you for your invitation, but I must decline." His grip on the hilt of his sword tightened. "I am unfit to train with others. Truthfully, I do not deserve human companionship." Angelina frowned and crossed her arms.

"Isn't that a bit much?"

"Nay, 'tis not enough. After what I've done in the past, what I say is warranted."

Henry was farther away from them now, almost disappearing in the dense scrub. She was unsure of what to make of Yen'fay's comment. Angelina saw how he treated Priam earlier and that seemed to contradict Yen'fay's statement. However, Priam was notoriously stubborn. It wouldn't surprise her if Priam's persistent behavior caused Yen'fay to open up to him. There also was the matter that the two of them dueled frequently. Surely the two of them foraged some sort of bond during those hours spent on the field. Angelina didn't bring this up, though. She knew when she was crossing a line and she didn't want to push Yen'fay any more than she had to. She couldn't ruin the few good moments she had with him by calling him out. No, it was a bad idea. She merely nodded her head and continued walking back to camp. "Well, if you ever want to hang out, you can always swing by my tent." She called over her shoulder. "I got a TON of tea and I probably shouldn't drink it all, so…" Her voice trailed off. "Take care, Yen'fay."

And here she thought things were going smoothly. She glanced behind her to see that Yen'fay had vanished. No one told her this was going to be hard. "Henry!" She shouted and ran to catch up. "Hold your 'horses'!" Angelina could faintly hear him laughing. She knew when she agreed to be Chrom's tactician what she was signing up for. Angelina knew it was going to drive her crazy and sap her energy. But Yen'fay was much more unpredictable. For once, she didn't know how to solve this problem. He wasn't a battle field or a castle. Yen'fay was a person, and she was a fool to think she could treat him in the same manner. She could progress in the war zone, but she couldn't walk twenty steps without hitting a trap with Yen'fay. She had to be patient with him, even more so than when she was on the field. Yen'fay was going to be her biggest battle yet and she had no idea where to start.

**(BY THE MULLET OF IKE! I was THIS close to winning this competition I had with my friend. THIS. CLOSE. My good friend, Singer of Water, was having a tough time writing a chapter for one of her stories, so I told her 'who ever writes their next chapter first, wins', and I lost. Silver medal for me, woo. Now you know why I posted this sucker so fast. ANYWAY, nobody told me writing for old man Yen'fay would be hard. I should have figured as much because of his lack of supports, so I hope I didn't screw up his personality too much. Enough of my whining, all of you who have read, reviewed, or even followed this story are fantastic people. Seriously, I want to give you all gold stars. You are all great individuals for putting up with my writing, so thank you oh so very much. Welp, that's it for the day. 'Til next time! ~Darkargo)**


	3. Chapter 3

Priam waited patiently. He found it funny that he was ready before Yen'fay. Everyone though the older swordsman was more organized than Priam, which was true, but Priam was always ready to go. Not that he was impatient or annoyed that his friend was taking his time. There were some morning rituals that shouldn't be rushed, especially if they affected the way of the sword. He scuffed his boot in the damp earth as a certain tactician ambled by.

"Morning, Priam."

He nodded his head, "Mornin'." Angelina was carrying a crate of some sort. It didn't seem to be too heavy, judging by the way she was holding it. "And where you off to this early?" She stopped and shifted the crate in her arms. "Off to see my work husband, I have to talk him about some plans."

"Ah," His head bobbed up. "Well tell Chrom I said 'hello'."

She chuckled and resumed her short trek to Chrom's tent. "I will. You take care." Priam grinned and crossed his arms. He sometimes found it hard to believe that woman was the brains behind his and his army's demise. She was tough and could stand to toughen up some more. Perhaps he could rope her, Yen'fay, and himself into an intense training session. Convincing her would be easy, as for Yen'fay, well…

"Have I kept you waiting for long?"

That would be a whole other battle entirely. Priam shook his head before popping his knuckles. "Nah, you're fine. You ready to go?" The both of them were charged with the task of supervising the town up ahead. Despite the fact their presence was well known, there were persistent reports of bandits hitting the town. It seemed almost suicidal to raid a town when a company of their size sat nearby. People were stupid.

It was silent. The hour before dawn was supposedly quietest part of the day. Perhaps the world was just too tired or impatient to do anything else. Even in this seeming peaceful time, both men clenched the hilts of their swords. They knew better than to lower their guard. The two of them ambled down the dirt path leading to the village. They weren't too far; Priam could see smoke from cooking fires spiraling up into the sky. Since they had risen before the others, neither of them had snagged any food from the mess tent. They knew they could always break open their rations for traveling, but a hot meal sounded more promising than a handful of trail mix.

"So what did happen in that fight?" Priam yawned. "Y'know, the one I was too smashed to join in?" It had been a few days since the Risen swarmed the camp. Priam didn't remember most of what happened, other than Lissa repeatedly telling him that the mess tent was closed. Had Priam known there was going to be massive Risen battle, he wouldn't have accepted that drinking challenge from Gregor the night before. At least he won.

Yen'fay shrugged, " 'Twas a battle like any other. I don't know what else to tell you."

"Did you partner up with anyone?" Priam would have been surprised if he did. Yen'fay typically fought solo or went with Priam. Of course, the two of them did their own things while they were partners, so they really weren't working as partners.

"Yes, actually, I did work with someone."

Priam raised his brow, "Really now?" Maybe Yen'fay finally overcame his personal issues and spoke with Say'ri. This was highly unlikely, but hey, a guy could dream. The fact that he actually agreed to fight alongside someone was astonishing. It seemed that Yen'fay was crawling out of his shell. "So who was it?"

"The tactician," Yen'fay stated. "She asked me after we briefly sparred in the morning." That was the understatement of the century. "It was…interesting fighting alongside her." He was surprised how she managed to survive, after witnessing many of her reckless moves. She was the tactician, wasn't she? She shouldn't have been so careless with her fighting style. "Her skills as a warrior need to improve."

"Interesting, tell me more about the fight." Priam bumped his fist into Yen'fay's shoulder. The older swordsman shrugged, "Like I said earlier, the fight was no different than any other."

Priam rolled his eyes. "Yes, because fighting with another individual, who's not me, doesn't change anything. C'mon, Yen'fay, tell me what happened." Normally he didn't pry in Yen'fay personal affairs, but this was different. Priam discovered that fighting alongside, or against, different people effected how one fought. He was more than interested to hear about the tactics Yen'fay and Angelina used.

After a few moments, Yen'fay smiled wryly at Priam. "You are incredibly stubborn, did you know that?" His friend grinned in response. "Angelina had asked me after we sparred if I could accompany her during the next battle. I agreed and asked if I could critique her while we fought." They both could see the village in the distance. "Since the Risen attack was spontaneous, she probably had forgotten in the spur of the moment." He smirked. "After I escorted you, I went off to join her. I'm quite surprised that I found her." Yen'fay tipped his chin up toward the sky as he tried to get a better view of the village. "There were swarms of Risen and it was possible that our paths wouldn't cross. However, I saw her…dismount Sumia's Pegasus and it was easier to find her from there. She was about to be cut down when I arrived."

"I assume you saved her hide."

Yen'fay nodded slowly. "It was interesting fighting with her. While I fought, she took care of the Risen around me. Angelina did not seem to have much forethought though when it came to throwing her weapons." He thought back on the moment when her axe lodged itself in a Risen. Of course, his own weapon was embedded in the belly of a different Risen and refused to be pulled out. If Angelina did not have an extra weapon on her, the two of them would have been completely defenseless. " I do think she relies on her partners too much."

* * *

They arrived at the village shortly thereafter. There didn't seem to be much to the place. Priam spied a local tavern not too far from a small temple of sorts. Other than that, there were houses scattered about. Naturally, the two well-armed men collected attention from the locals. Some of the villagers clustered in groups nearby, while others promptly returned to their homes. "I'll speak with the people if you survey the area. We'll meet up at the tavern when we're done, alright?" They would cover more information and ground faster if they split up. Besides, Yen'fay wasn't a big fan of crowds. Priam didn't think his friend would get overwhelmed by the villagers, he just knew they would probably make Yen'fay uncomfortable. The older swordsman politely bowed to Priam before leaving to investigate.

Wandering through the twisting roads of the village, Yen'fay was reminded of his life before his sister's death. Chon'sin was filled with little villages like these. Most of them more than likely encountered bandits, but they were hardly an issue. His people were proud as they were strong and could fend for themselves. He did not interfere with his people unless it was necessary. Yen'fay valued their independence and never once desired them to be dependent on him. After all, he was man, not a god among mortals. He was prone to earthly desires and faults like any of his citizens. Yen'fay knew he would fail many times in his life and didn't want to bring his people down with him. If anything, they would stubbornly fight alongside him whether he liked it or not.

What of his people now? He no longer lived in his world and he knew not of what happened to them. Something stirred violently within him. Of course he knew what became of his people. What a fool he was to think he didn't. They were slaughtered by the thousands. If the swarms of Risen did not devour them, then Grima's endless rage would destroy them. His people died fighting for their lives while he mourned over the loss of one. Fate was a cruel thing to tear him from his world and throw him into this one. Even if his sister lived in this world, he was not fit to be near her. A king was supposed die for his people and a brother was to protect his sister. And Yen'fay did neither of these. He shook his head. Yen'fay needed to focus on the task at hand. He could dwell on his mistakes later.

What he gathered from the village was that it was poorly fortified. Only a sturdy, wooden fence offered the townspeople protection. Judging by the fact that the houses were made of wood as well, stone was not a common material used in these parts. Maybe one of the reasons why the villagers did not fight back was in fear of their village being set aflame. The area surrounding the village was a mix of farm land and forest. Yen'fay doubted the bandits would be hiding out in one of the barns, so that left the forest.

"Pardon me," He asked one of the farmers passing by. "Are there any fortresses around here?"

The man scratched his beard in thought. "Yeah, 'bout one down the road, nobody uses it anymore. It used to be some military outpost, but then there was a shift in power, and they plum forgot 'bout it." He cracked a toothy grin. "Ya bandit huntin'?" Yen'fay nodded. "Heh, your friend's been asking all sorts of questions." His face suddenly grew stern. "Ya'll make them thieves pay." The swordsman bowed as the farmer lumbered off. It was time to head back to the tavern.

* * *

"Yen'fay, I think you're missing the point." Priam rubbed his brow with the edge of the stein. "When you go to a tavern, you order beer or wine, y'know, something with a kick to it." The hero squinted at the pot of hot water sitting on the bar. He probably should have known Yen'fay wouldn't 'drink' with him. Yen'fay chuckled in response.

"You think me uneducated, Sir Priam, I am offended." He sipped his tea while Priam reached for one of the mincemeat pies on the platter between them. "The drink that I prefer is not made in this region. Rice is not a common crop in the northern parts of Valm, which is its main ingredient. It would be pointless for me to ask for it when I know it does not exist here." Priam rolled his eyes and aggressively chomped on the pie. Thankfully, he spared Yen'fay the appalling sight of talking with his mouthful.

They came at one of the rare times the bar was desolate. Only a few individuals were sprinkled throughout the dining area. Most of the taverns regular patrons were probably out working in the fields. Since there was no need to compete for sound, there was a low rumble of indistinguishable chatter in the background.

"I'm even surprised they served you tea." Priam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"They merely gave me the hot water." Yen'fay smiled wryly. "I carry my tea with me" He set his cup down and took one of the few meat pies remaining. "So what did learn from the villagers?" It took a moment for Priam to respond since he was in the middle of drinking.

"They've been stealing crops and livestock." He answered, lowering his stein. "There have been some people who've claimed to have personal items stolen as well. The villagers don't know how many there are, but I guess under twenty at the most."

Yen'fay grimaced slightly as he bit into the pie. The food was too greasy for his taste. He covered his mouth as he spoke, "I believe we'll find the culprits in the deserted fortress." Yen'fay bitterly swallowed. Good gods, that was awful. " 'Tis not too far from here." As much as he wanted to strike now, he knew it would be reckless. Even if he and Priam were skilled with the blade, there was the possibility of being vastly outnumbered. He may have been a dead man, but he didn't want to perish again by some act of stupidity.

"Guess that leaves us to go talk to Chrom, huh." Priam took the last pie. "Well, best get moving, Yen'fay. We're burning daylight." The two seasoned warriors rose in unison as Priam tossed some coins onto the table. "I bet we can get this mess taken care by tomorrow."

* * *

"Ah, Angelina, fancy finding you here."

Maybe if she pretended she didn't hear him, he would go away. Angelina was hunched over a sprawling map. Her fingers lightly drummed against the edges of the table. She was trying to figure out some way to smoke out the bandits and the remaining Risen in the area and was having no such luck. Perhaps if she wasn't getting interrupted every five seconds, she could complete one thought.

Inigo pouted and sauntered over to the other end of the table. "Angie, I know you can hear me." The tactician looked at him from under half-closed eyes. "Yes, your highness?" He beamed happily and tilted his head. "Looking lovely as ever, my dear."

"Inigo, I'm older than your mother." Actually, Angelina wasn't sure if she was older than Olivia. She just wanted Inigo to leave her alone. He was a good boy and all, but he tended to drag out things longer than necessary, and she didn't have time for that.

The prince laughed and shook his head, "Then you are like fine wine that grows lovelier with time." He put one hand on his hip and leaned on the table. "I have a question to ask you."

Angelina gestured to the map on the table, "Does it relate to this, because if not, I can't help you right now." She glared at him. He was unfazed by her glare (He was used to girls doing worse things to him) and continued. "Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. I was wondering if you could tell me the standard line up for battle."

Her brown eyes narrowed, "Inigo, if you are going to ask me to put you by some dainty damsel, I'm not helping you." He bobbed his head back. "That's a shame, since that was going to be my second question, but I wanted to know who Luce was partnered up with."

This was…odd. "Why do you need to know? Can't you just ask her? I mean, she's your sister." Inigio slammed his hands on the table, startling the peeved tactician. "I HAVE, ANGIE, AND SHE WON'T TELL ME." The prince threw his hands up in the air and began to pace around the table. "I want to know who it is, because Lucina really likes this person and I want to be the judge of their character." He cleared his throat, "I just want to make sure they are good enough for Lucina, that's all."

Angelina discreetly tucked the line-up chart under the map. Now it made since why Lucina begged her not to tell Inigo who she was paired up with. She had forgotten about that little favor until this moment. It had been over a week since Lucina spoke with her and now it made sense. "I'm sorry," The tactician resumed her previous task. "That's classified."

Inigo knotted his fingers in his hair and whimpered, "But you have to tell me, I'm the prince!"

"Don't make me get your father." At the mention of his father, Inigo closed his mouth and glared back. Angelina discovered that using her work husband as a threat was very effective. Nobody would bother if she suggested getting Chrom involved. She was pretty sure this was the best strategy she ever came up with. Inigo opened his mouth to argue, but sealed his lips the moment someone entered the tent.

"We're not done talking about this!" He huffed before stomping out of the tent. She sighed, looking over her shoulder at her visitors, "And how can I help you fine gentlemen?" Angie looked back at the map. "I suppose you aren't here to pester me about formation positions."

Priam chuckled and pulled up a chair next to the table. "That's what that was about? He put up a pretty big stink about it." Angelina sighed again and nodded her head. "Yeah, basically." She grumbled. "So, did you guys find out anything? I'm sure day has been more fruitful than mine."

"We learned what the bandits have been filching and where they possible have been hiding." The tactician perked up.

"That's good. I've been going in circles on where they've been hiding." She stepped back a bit as Yen'fay sidled up the table. After examining the map for a few minutes, he placed his index finger on their current position. "The farmer I spoke with told me that there is an abandoned fortress not too far down the main road." He slid his finger a few inches away from their camp. "It should be in these parts." Yen'fay looked up at the tactician. "May I make a suggestion?" Angelina's eyes widened at his offer and gestured to the map. "Go right ahead."

" I propose that we select a few individuals to undertake this quest. Since we are not aware of their current position, I suggest asking one of the Taguel to help us locate them."

Angelina withdrew her chart from under the map. "I assume you two want in on this, but is there anyone else you would like to come along?" Yen'fay and Priam exchanged glances with one another.

"That's up to you, tactician." Priam shrugged. "We're ready when you are."

"I'll get to it, then." She smiled. "I'll grab you guys when everyone's assembled." The tactician quickly left the tent.

Priam folded his arms across his chest, "Look at you! I think you might give poor Angie a run for her money." He snorted and stood up. "You think we can warm up a bit before we leave? I do owe you a sparring match." The older swordsman smirked in response. "Maybe we should not, after all, you did drink while we were at the tavern. There is a possibility you may become inebriated while we spar." The hero slapped Yen'fay shoulder, not amused. "You won't be laughing when I beat you."

Yen'fay laughed, "Oh ho, have I damaged your pride? Alright then, let us go and see who the real fool is."

**(GOOD GRAVY, I THOUGHT THIS WOULD NEVER END. Truthfully, I wanted to include the whole bandit fight in this, but i really needed to end this chapter. I think I spent way too much time on this one. I'm slightly disappointed with myself because it took so damn long. Oh well. Anyway, you guys are probably wondering how this all fits in. Well I thought that making Robin and any of the characters you can recruit during the last chapter fall have any sort of relationship near impossible. Let's be honest, nobody in the Shepherds wants to go to another continent and enlist some attractive people in their army when they can go kill Grima. I'm just saying. This is still following the main plot line, but you pick up Priam and Yen'fay right after the battle with Walhart. Also, the Shepherds are hanging around in Valm just to make sure everything is stable before returning home. Anyway, now you know. And I know that I'm taking this slow and I promise to pick up the pace after the next chapter. 'Til next time! ~ Darkargo)**


	4. Chapter 4

The tactician wandered around the camp as she pieced together a suitable group for the quest. At the very minimum, there would be four people coming along. She needed to keep the group as small as possible. While she could swamp the bandits, they would most likely see the company coming from a distance. If they didn't see them, the thieves would hear them. A group of their size hardly went unnoticed. She could always request reinforcements, but the wooded area would work against most of her comrades. A small group would be their best bet. If they were able to ambush their enemy, they could offset them entirely. The only issue was the fact they were going as a small group. Since neither Yen'fay nor Priam knew the exact number of bandits, they could be overrun easily. This was the issue she ran into earlier.

She tapped her chin. It probably would be wise to take a cleric or a healer of some sort with them. As if on cue, Lissa leaped out from behind a stack of crates. The tactician shrieked and nearly toppled over from fright. "I heard you were going out tonight on a mission and I wanted to come along." Angie wouldn't have been surprised if Lissa scared her on purpose. She knew better than anyone how easily spooked the tactician was and often used it to her advantage. Angie patted the area over her heart, "Y-yes, yes, I was just thinking about that." Information sure got around fast in the group or maybe Lissa was eavesdropping. The latter seemed most plausible. "How quiet can you be?"

The war cleric snorted and rolled her eyes. "I CAN be quiet, y'know?" If Lissa put her mind to it, she could accomplish anything. "And if you're really worried about me making noise, I'll wrap some cloth around my mouth, okay?" She pouted, "I just really want to get out." Angie chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Heh, well I don't think we need to go extreme on the quiet part. As long as you can refrain from talking, I think you'll be fine." Lissa lit up upon hearing those words and hugged the tactician tightly.

"Oh thanks, Angie! You won't regret it!" The tactician merely sputtered in response as the air was crushed out of her. Lissa finally released her death grip on Angie, "So can I bring Owain along?" She waited patiently for a response as Angelina gasped for air. "He's been itching to fight alongside me."

"I'm not sure." Angelina fanned herself with her hand. "I can't take everyone with me and I have to choose my units wisely." She swept a loose strand of hair off her face. "So don't be upset if he doesn't come along."

"Hmph." The younger girl put her hands on hips. "Well, think about it, okay?"

"I will." Had this been any other mission, Angelina would have allowed Owain to tag along. He was a good kid even though she hardly understood word he said. Of course, he and his mother were a terrible duo on the battlefield. While they weren't the strongest fighters, the two of them were fast and resilient, and picked off any straggling foes. The only reason why she wasn't considering Owain coming along was the fact that he and Lissa were both extremely loud together. Angelina didn't know how long Owain would last before he complained about his "sword hand".

"So who else is coming along?"

Angelina shrugged, "I haven't really decided yet—well—I have a basic idea." Lissa linked arms with the tactician and tugged her along. "So, Yen'fay and Priam are coming along because they gathered information about the bandits." She noticed Lissa counted off with her free hand. "You and me are also going. Uh, I was off to ask Panne about helping us find the thieves." That made five all together, but Angie didn't like uneven numbers. Maybe Panne would bring her son, Yarne, along or her husband. Neither would be a bad choice. She had yet to ask Panne, so she couldn't count her yet. Angelina knew Panne wouldn't mind helping her out, but she was mildly nervous about asking her. The proud Taguel was incredibly fierce and driven. She knew what she wanted and was dedicated to her cause. The tactician felt like a bumbling child next to Panne and respected her deeply. Angelina never wanted to anger or offend Panne in any way, shape, or form.

In short, Angelina admired Panne and was afraid of looking like a fool in front of her. She looked at Lissa, who was humming some tune. Well, if Lissa was going to be with her, then she would have no problems asking Panne—

"Maribelle! Let me help you with that!" Lissa tore from her arm and trotted over to the other healer.

Or not. Crap. She hesitated, hoping Lissa would come back. The younger healer was too busy helping Maribelle clean the mud off her blouse. Apparently, she had tripped while trying to find Brady and landed in a lovely mud puddle. The older healer was complaining loudly about how difficult it would be to remove the mud stain. Angelina groaned, seeing that Lissa would not be coming with her. She began to trudge her way over to Panne's tent, which was on the other side of camp. Quick, she needed to recruit someone to help her.

Perhaps fate was working against her today, because she didn't pass a single soul on her way to Panne's tent. Who knows, maybe she'd run into Yen'fay and look like a fool in front of him, too.

"There you are, tactician."

She should have expected that. Angelina was surprised she didn't yelp when Yen'fay came out of nowhere. She also discovered how quickly she could transform a "Holy shit!" into an "Hello!" The tactician smiled awkwardly at the older swordsman. "Can I help you with something?" As much as she liked procrastinating, she would prefer doing it with someone else. Yen'fay almost intimidated her as much as Panne.

"I hope my suggestion did not interfere with any other plans you had in place."

She shook her head. "No, no, I should thank you. I've been going nuts over how to get rid of the bandits, and you helped with that. So, thank you."

He put his left fist into the palm of his right hand and bowed. "Forgive me, but I must take leave of you." When he straightened himself up, she noticed he was smirking. "There is something I must attend to." Angelina swore she heard Priam shouting as Yen'fay marched off to the training field.

Well that was…odd. Pleasant, but odd. Right, she still needed to speak with Panne. She couldn't put that off forever. After reluctantly trudging over to the Taguel's tent, Angelina nervously fidgeted outside. How on earth was she supposed to enter? Once she got in, how was she going to ask Panne to come along? Angie really didn't want to be rude.

"My, my, I can practically see the smoke rising from your head." Angelina looked up to see Virion standing in the entrance of the tent. "Is something the matter, dear tactician? You look awfully tense."

Angelina gulped, "Uh, I needed to ask Panne for help." She stuttered. "I have a mission that's tonight and I wanted to know if she could come along." The archiest of archers swept the tent flap back and gestured for Angelina to come in. This was ridiculous. She had known for Panne for quite some time now and she didn't need to be nervous around her.

The tactician spotted Panne sitting on one of the beds, braiding her long hair. "You wanted to see me, Angelina?"

"Yeah, if you're not busy…" Thankfully, Virion didn't leave the tent. He probably knew she was intimidated by his wife. "I needed to find some thieves, and you have the best nose, so I thought you could help me sniff them out." Panne's ears twitched as she considered Angelina's request. "And if you came along, you could bring either your husband or your son. I wouldn't want you to be alone or anything." Angie rubbed her neck. "I'm not insinuating you're weak or you can't handle your own, uh." She needed to stop talking.

Panne chuckled softly as she continued braiding her hair. "You haven't offended me, tactician. I wouldn't mind coming along. I do have a request for you."

"Yeah?" She felt better already. "How can I help?"

Panne squinted at her, "Would you mind if you worked with Yarne sometime? Perhaps your knowledge of man-spawn strategies would help him."

Angelina nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't mind at all." She paused, "Well, since you're coming along, that makes five, so if you want, you can bring him along. I don't like working with odd numbered groups because someone gets left out." Yarne would make an excellent addition to the party. He was currently training to be a sniper, like his father, and he was already surpassing him. Angie couldn't count how many times Virion boasted of his son being a prodigy.

"Yes, I'll bring him along." Panne said sternly. "When would you like us to be ready?"

The tactician bobbed her head side to side. "Sometime before sundown, and I'll come and get you." Panne's eyes glinted and said no more. Virion politely escorted the tactician out of the tent and wished her a good day. Once the tactician was a ways away from Panne's tent, she sighed in relief. That went better than expected. Now she needed to plan everything else out.

* * *

It was a little after dinner when Angelina rounded up her crew. The sun was slowly sinking in the summer sky and it seemed it was going to be another hot night. Yen'fay and Priam had showed up to her tent early and waited for the others to arrive. Angelina already fetched Lissa since the two of them typically ate together, which left her to retrieve Yarne and Panne. To her amazement, the mother and son showed up shortly after she entered the tent.

"I found where the man-spawn are hiding." Panne said briskly. "There are about twelve of them cowering in that abandoned fortress." The corners of her lips twitched. "They did not even detect my presence."

Angelina clapped her hands together. "Thank you, Panne, you are a big help. Now," She turned her attention to the rest of the group. "We are outnumbered, but I think they won't be much of a problem for us." Had this been in the beginning when she first started out as tactician, she would have requested more assistance. Most of the people in the tent with her either fought against the Valmese army or lead an army of their own. While cockiness might come back and bit her, she fully believed a few bandits were no match for her group. "Alright, Yen'fay and Priam, you guys will be working together." She placed her hand on her chest. "I will be working with Lissa, and Panne and Yarne will work together." Angelina surveyed the faces in the room. "Are we clear?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Okay, Yarne and Panne, you two are in charge of going around the fortress and taking out any archers or mages. Once you have finished with them, you will go inside and provide support." Yarne paled slightly while his mother nodded. "Yen'fay and Priam, you two are going to enter the premises once the coast is clear. Lissa and I will follow shortly thereafter and provide cover for you." She folded her arms. "That's it. Do you guys have any questions...no? Well, I guess we're off, then."

Panne advised that taking the main road would cause them to be easily spotted. Once they passed through the town, the Taguel promptly pulled away from the road and lead them into the woods. Angelina was thankful that the summer days were long, because she would have tripped on the dozen or so logs that were in her path. Panne was leading the group and would pause occasionally to read the surrounding area. Other than the crunching of leaves and twigs underfoot, the group was silent. "This way," Panne hissed, beckoning the group. "We must cross the stream."

Now crossing it would be no big deal. Sure, they were going to get a little wet, that wasn't what Angelina was worried about. Lissa started to act funny the closer the got to rivulet of water, which unnerved the tactician. Panne was the first, followed by her son, to cross the stream. Angelina and Lissa were the next pair to cross it, and that's when Lissa started giggling.

"What's so funny?"

Lissa nearly snorted and clamped her hands over her mouth. She slyly looked at the tactician before saying, "I wonder if there are any frogs around here." Angelina was incredibly tempted to push Lissa in the water. She knew the war cleric was taunting her because they were on a mission.

"I bet there are some lovely worms around here, too." She smiled back at Lissa. The war cleric wrinkled her nose in disgust. Two could play at this game. It was no surprise that they were the last ones to cross the stream. Everyone else waited patiently as the two of them hastily scampered onto the other side. It wasn't long before they came upon a clearing and Panne urged them to stop.

From where they were standing, they could make out the fortress. Angelina and Priam were the ones who moved some of the overhanging branches to get a better view. The crumbling structure sat at the very edge of the clearing and backed up the main road. Parts of the fortress's walls were falling apart, creating massive gaps in the structure. Angelina spied a faint smoke trail wisping up from the fortress. It seemed that their opponents were awake. She noticed Panne and Yarne wrinkling their noses from the scent.

"They've killed an animal." Panne stood next to Angelina, gazing out at the fortress. "I can smell the blood."

"It must be something big, like a deer, if it's this strong." Yarne mumbled behind his mother. "Or maybe one of the livestock from the village." Yarne had been surprisingly quite during the trek through the woods. Perhaps it was out of fear or his mother had spoken to him beforehand about keeping his mouth shut. After all, he did speak the loudest in the group.

Angelina didn't know what to do next. Should they go after the thieves now or wait until night fall? She mentally cursed herself for not bringing more members for this quest.

"We could strike now, tactician." Yen'fay said coolly. Angelina had almost forgotten the older swordsman was there. He was right; they could go now and end this. She turned to face her small crew and nodded. "Alright then, let's go."

* * *

"Did you hear something?" About seven of the thieves clustered around the fire, feasting on roasted bits of meat. The leader of the group sat hunched over on a crate, sharpening one of his knives. He looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. He swore he heard something. His nostrils flared as he slinked off his perch. Something was watching him. He hadn't moved more than five feet from his seat, when one of his men let out a strangled scream. His other men, who were sitting around the fire, began to panic like a bunch of confused animals.

"Would you lot get it together?!" He roared, brandishing his knife. "It's probably just them damn villagers—" An arrow whizzed past his ear. He felt a weight drop in his stomach. That large company must have noticed them. He knew he should have pulled out sooner. It was too late to do anything now. He staggered back as his men scrambled out the fortress, waving their weapons like fools. Maybe he could escape—

Something sharp dug into his shoulder, knocking the wind out of him. He screamed in anguish as he struggled to get up. He turned his head slightly to see an axe lodged in his shoulder. Somehow he managed to stand and he tried to pry the weapon from his shoulder. Blood spurted out from the wound as he jerked the axe out. Gasping for air, he finally pulled the axe free from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. He could still get out of here. It was only a flesh wound, he could make it. He looked up and perceived what he believed was the reaper himself.

There was a swordsman standing a few yards in front of him, garbed in dark armor. In his hand was a golden, pronged sword. The man's face was devoid of emotion as he took his position. "So you are the dogs responsible."

The wounded leader dropped to his knees to beg for mercy. "P-please! I beg of you!"

The reaper seemed unfazed and raised his sword. "You shall pay for the crimes you committed against those people."

The man opened his mouth to protest, when an arrow pierced his spine. "Damn you, reaper." He hissed as he collapsed onto the ground. "At least you weren't the one to end my life."

* * *

"That was it?" Priam sighed unhappily, kicking dirt onto the fire. "I expected, I don't know, more."

"They were just a group of common thugs, Priam." Angelina stared at her hand which was shaking from the adrenaline rush. "They weren't going to be much of a challenge." Most of the thieves took off the moment the action started. Hopefully it was enough to prevent them from coming back. The hero was the only one complaining about the lack fighting involved. Lissa was busy tending Yarne's wounds, which were nothing more than a few scratches. Panne was standing in one of the large gaps in the wall, staring out into the forest. One was missing. She spun around to find Yen'fay towering over the fallen leader.

Something seemed off about him; she couldn't put her finger on it. Angelina picked her way through the debris that littered the ground and stood beside him. She refrained from looking at the oozing body at her feet. "Is something the matter?"

He said nothing. Angelina leaned over to catch his gaze. His head tilted slightly to face her. "Yes, tactician?"

"Are you okay? You seem a bit…off."

"I am fine. You do not need to concern yourself with me."

"No," She said firmly. "I know something is bothering you. Don't you lie to me." He was taken aback by her statement, noticeably straightening himself. "You are a part of this team, Yen'fay, and I want to make sure you are okay." She put her hands on her hips. "You can tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone else." Angelina looked for some sign of him caving in, but he didn't waver. If anything, he probably put more walls up in her attempt to get through them.

A loud shriek cut through the evening air, shattering the tension between them.

"Uh, what was that?" Yarne clutched his bow tightly. He paled as another scream followed shortly thereafter.

"Risen," His mother growled. "And there are many of them."

"They must have been drawn here by the fighting." Priam unsheathed the Ragnell. "Bet those thieves didn't get too far."

Lissa was trying to calm Yarne down by gently patting his shoulder. "It's okay, Yarne, we have some of the strongest members of the company here." She smiled at him. "If you're really worried, you can climb up onto the top of the wall and shoot from there. It looks like there are some stairs over there." The war cleric pointed with her staff. "And if it makes you feel better, I can go up there with you."

Yarne nodded furiously and bolted over to the staircase with Lissa in tow. "We'll be up here!" She shouted over her shoulder.

"It seems that we are partners again, Angelina, unless you would prefer someone else." Yen'fay turned away from the body. Angelina trotted after him, tugging her silver sword from its scabbard. "I'm with you."

"Perhaps you won't be as reckless as last time." She thought he was patronizing her, until she saw his lip upturned into a smirk. He was teasing her.

"Maybe you won't lose your sword in a Risen this time." Angelina snickered softly.

"Hey, Ange!" Priam shouted. "What is the plan?"

"Hold your position for as long as you can! If you can't hold them back, retreat to the stair case and fight them from there!" The hero and the Taguel seemed satisfied with the idea and prepared themselves. "Yarne, do you think you could pick off any stranglers from your position?"

"Yes, ma'am!" His voice cracked as he fumbled with his bow.

Lissa quickly added, "I'll take care of him and any Risen that try to come up here!"

She gripped her blade tightly, waiting for their enemy to appear. "Yen'fay, if this gets too risky, we are retreating to the staircase."

"Aye." He muttered.

The Risen wasted no time exploding from the underbrush, snarling and growling as they lumbered towards them. Angelina felt a trickle of sweat run down her brow. There were so many of them, how could they not have noticed them before? She didn't have the luxury to ponder over this fact as the first Risen swung its sword at her. She quickly parried its attack and buried her blade deep into its stomach. It screeched and disintegrated, allowing the next Risen to take its place. The tactician stole glances at the man fighting beside her. He was lost in the flow of the battle, his blade glinting in the moon's bright light.

"Angie, behind you!" Lissa screamed. The tactician pivoted on her heels and clashed her sword with a Risen's axe. It snarled at her, pressing her back into Yen'fay. "No you don't!" She hissed between gritted teeth and struggled under the heavy blade. "Back off!" Angelina kneed the Risen in the gut, causing it to double over. She smashed her foot into its skull, finishing it off quickly. Seeing that no other Risen were behind her, she turned back, catching a golden flicker at the tree line. A mage. She grabbed the back of Yen'fay's armor and sharply pulled him back. Before he could protest, a large ball of flame erupted in front of them, killing most of the Risen in front of them.

"Thank you." He uttered.

She shook her hand repeatedly, trying to shake the pain from it. "No problem." Her arm was sore from yanking him back. He was heavier than he looked. To her surprise, Panne leapt over them in her beast from, crushing some of the Risen blindly flailing in the smoke. They must have taken care of the Risen on their side. As the smoke cleared, she could see the hero was cutting down the Risen by the tree line while Panne clawed the ones nearest to the fortress.

Angelina really wanted to sit down. While there weren't as many Risen as before, an occasional group of them would amble into the fortress and she and Yen'fay would fight them off. Yarne had picked off most, if not all, of the mages and archers in the vicinity. Angie didn't have to worry about removing her arm again by trying to save Yen'fay. She began to think she pulled something as her left arm painfully throbbed. She was thankful she didn't need it to fight, but it was rather draining. Even with Lissa's constant healing, Angelina felt exhausted. Yen'fay never seemed to break a sweat despite the countless Risen he slaughtered. He must have noticed her tiring because he would repeatedly counter attacks directed at her.

Priam and Panne rejoined them in the fortress and took down the last of the Risen.

"Is it over?" Yarne hesitantly came down the staircase. "I'm almost out of arrows."

Angelina finally sat down on the ground, her chest heaving. "Let's go before more come." She rasped. "When we get back, we can warn Chrom of a potential second wave." The tactician tilted her head back and stared at the stars. "I highly doubt there will be more, though. We've never encountered a group of this size." Her legs were shaking as she rose to her feet. She had this sinking feeling that Chrom was going to be mad at her for not bringing more people with her. The tactician could deal with him in the morning, or rather, the afternoon. It must have been past midnight.

"Let's take the main road." She groaned, rubbing her left arm. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm spent."

Angelina wasn't where everyone was in the group, but she did know Panne and Yarne were leading it. She guessed she probably behind everyone else, which was fine. Angie hoped she wouldn't pass out in the middle of the road and be forgotten about. That happened one time, actually. What an awkward experience that was.

"Do you want me to carry you, Angelina?"

She tiredly glared at Yen'fay, "Not if you want to tell me about what was bothering you." The tactican couldn't see him very well. She assumed he was right next to her, judging by how well she could hear him.

"I do not think you are in a position to bargain with me." He said flatly. "I do not want you to lose conscious and land on your face."

"Well if you don't tell me, than that might happen." She grumbled, feeling herself sway uneasily on her feet. "Besides, I don't like being carried. I'd rather you drag me back than throw me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes." Angie was fine passing out on the road; she was not fine with passing out in his arms. Man, that would be weirder than the time everyone left in the middle of the road.

Yen'fay had never met a more stubborn woman. Angelina was practically dragging herself on the ground and she refused his assistance. It was utterly ridiculous to see her demand something in return for helping her. He was more than tempted to throw her over his shoulders and tote her around like a sack of potatoes because of her hard headedness. Yen'fay sighed tiredly. They weren't too far from the camp, but Angelina was progressively getting slower. If she didn't want his help, than he would get someone else to assist her. "Priam, would you mind carrying Angelina back."

"Oh sure, not a problem." The hero quickly hoisted the tired tactician over his shoulders and eagerly trotted back to camp. Yen'fay could faintly hear Angelina protesting about being carried and smiled to himself. "You need to remember to use your assets wisely, tactician, or you will never win this war."

**( HOT DAMN, THAT WAS LONG. Wow, this was a lot different then I expected. I just, wow, this part is done. I'll be making the chapters shorter after this. I don't like making them short, but if I don't, I have a hard time stopping. I can't promise updates are going to be faster because my work load is picking up. I'll figure something out. THANK YOU ALL OF YOU FOR READING THIS. I forgot to say thank you in my last chapter ( shame on me!). I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you guys read this. Alright then, that wraps things up here. Until we meet again! ~ Darkargo )**


	5. Chapter 5

Angelina appreciated a good summer shower as long as she wasn't in it. Unfortunately for the tactician, the cards of fate and weather were never in her favor. She huffed as her horse slowly plodded through the cold rain. Angelina was grateful she decided to wear her old tactician robes over her armor that morning. Unlike her armor, her old clothes were waterproof, so she would be spared being soaked to the bone. No amount of water protection would prevent her from getting wet, though. The wind would occasionally pick up, spraying her face with rain and mud. She soon began to crave the summer heat she previously detested.

They were marching today. Once Chrom was sure the area was secured, they moved onto to the next village or town. He wanted to create a relationship with the people of Valm. While many individuals were not pleased with Walhart's rule, Chrom wanted to make sure he had the Valmese on his side. None of them needed a second war on their hands because of poor relations. It was a start, helping out the small villages here and there, hopefully all these small deeds would help win over the people.

The esteemed Exalt was perched on the horse in front of her. He sat tall in his saddle, shoulders back with confidence. At the moment, he wore a dark cloak to shield himself from the rain. Chrom was speaking to his wife, Olivia. She rode beside him, garbed in a light colored robe. From here, Angelina could tell the young queen was fidgeting with the reins. It was funny to think that she almost became queen.

It struck her as odd that she could have been in Olivia's position. The tactician vividly remembered the day Chrom proposed to her. It all felt so surreal to her, like it was a part of a dream. She had been busy in her tent and Sumia was helping her arrange her books. The both of them were sitting on the floor, laughing about some bad joke Angelina said, when Chrom strolled in. Sumia quickly left as Chrom asked Angelina to come with him. They talked for a while and wandered around camp. Eventually, he dropped to his knee and proposed to her.

Angelina wasn't sure how to react to it. She was honored, but she wasn't happy. Her heart didn't flutter or trill like a bird. She felt nothing. It didn't make her feel any better when Chrom told her she was the "Wind at his back and sword at his side". Out of fear of hurting his feelings, she almost accepted it. She didn't, though. There were too many complications that surrounded their marriage. She was his chief tactician, after all, and it would be unprofessional of her to marry her boss. Even when the war ended, it didn't feel right to her to do it, not to mention the fact she didn't love Chrom romantically. He had been very much like a brother to her and had offered his family to her. She couldn't thank him enough for that, but that didn't mean she was willing to sacrifice her happiness for him. Angelina had been called a host of things for turning down Chrom, however, none of that would compare to being in a loveless marriage.

Things had been strange between them ever since. While they couldn't go back to the old days, things were marginally better ever since he married Olivia. The shy queen never brought it up with Angelina, but she guessed Olivia was aware of what happened. That would explain why she hardly spoke to Angelina. She didn't have anything against Olivia, Angelina wanted to know if the dancer was truly happy or not. Olivia seemed happy when she was with Ingio or Lucina, Angie couldn't say much about Chrom. The few times she did see Olivia with her husband, she was often leaving the tent because Angelina needed to speak with him.

She let her horse recede farther back into the group. She had ruined two lives because—no—she ruined no one's life. The tactician shook her head, silently scorning herself. Angelina did what was best for her. It was her life and she was going to run it however she liked.

"Angelina," The tactician jumped her saddle. Her horse, thankfully, didn't bolt from under her. He had probably grown used to her being surprised by anything. "Do you have a moment?" Say'ri guided her dappled mare to walk beside the tactician's horse.

Angie shifted in her saddle, "Is this about your request?" She causally looked behind her, hoping Yen'fay wasn't in ear shot. Say'ri nodded her head. "Aye, is that going well?"

She shrugged. "I'm not too sure. I've been trying to work with him more, but I don't know if I'm actually helping him or not."

The blade princess reached over and touched her shoulder. "I appreciate what you are doing, Angelina. You have my gratitude."

"I'm glad I could help." Angelina nodded. Say'ri smiled at her before returning to her original position in the group. Angelina was aware that Say'ri informally put herself in charge of watching Lady Tiki, most likely the reason she left so quickly. Say'ri probably didn't want Lady Tiki falling asleep on top of the horse and tumble off the saddle.

* * *

She leaned against her horse. The company had decided to take a brief break and stopped beside a large field. Her trusty steed tore through the wild grasses vigorously as she scanned her surroundings. She assumed the field had been previously owned due to the crooked fence that outlined the area. A depilated barn slouched near the center of the overgrown field. The rain began to fall harder, and she tugged her hood further down her face. Angelina highly doubted they would find a dry place to camp for the night, not with the constant downpour. If they were lucky, they might stumble across an inn, although she didn't know if the entire company could manage to fit in it. The tactician planned on having a dreary evening and pulled her cloak tighter around her. She may have been wearing her armor underneath, but she was still cold.

Angie patted her horse's tawny neck before climbing into the saddle. She would probably ride in the back this time. Being up front near Chrom and his family made her mildly uncomfortable. She didn't want to infringe on their lives any more than she needed to be. Once the rest of the group had collected themselves, she waited to join the back of the group. To her delight, Nowi and Henry were amongst those in the back as well as their daughter, Nah. At least she would have some fun with them; both Henry and his wife were known for their jokes. Angelina found it hilarious that their daughter was more mature than the two of her parents combined.

"…So what do you call a fake noodle?" Henry said loudly. Nowi, who sat in front of him, giggled.

"I don't know."

"An im'pasta'!" The both of them laughed loudly. Angelina chuckled softly. She could get used to riding in the back.

"Hey, Ange, fancy seeing you back here."

The tactician looked over her shoulder to see Priam riding behind her. "Hey there, Priam, how are you?"

His horse ambled beside hers, "I've been better, I'm not too fond of the rain." He said disdainfully. "Makes it hard to practice in these conditions."

"Where's your partner in crime?"

He cocked his head, "Oh you mean Yen'fay? I'm not sure where he is." Priam shrugged. "He said something about changing positions, so I bet he's in the front somewhere." The hero suddenly leaned over. "Actually, I have a bit of a favor to ask." His gaze shifted toward the front of the group.

She straightened herself in the saddle and bobbed her head. "I'm listening."

"Well, since you've been hanging around Yen'fay more, I wanted to ask you if you keep an eye out for him." He didn't notice the tactician stopped nodding her head, nor did he see her drop her reins. Angelina's eyes widened as she furrowed her brow.

"Why? If you don't mind me asking."

He pointed at her. "You got him to partner up with you."

"That's because I asked."

Priam rolled his eyes, "Well yeah, he'll fight with you if you ask, but he partnered up with you in the last fight. You didn't ask him then to do that, did you?"

She knew exactly where this was going. Did he know Say'ri had asked her to do the same thing? Angelina wasn't sure if she should mention this fact or not. "Yeah, but I'm sure it was because of the circumstances." She didn't think Yen'fay joined up with her because he knew her. They were acquaintances and simply shared fleeting moments of comradery on the battlefield. They did what they could to survive the seemingly endless Risen battles.

Priam snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Angelina, you saved his life. He's grateful for that, y'know, even if he doesn't say it." He massaged his face, "What I'm asking you to do is to support him. He needs more friends, Ange, and I think you can comfort him better than I can." Priam held up his hand before she could talk. "Look, I know you are basically a nanny to everyone in this gods damn army, but could you spend some time with him? You're a woman, so you can probably do comfort him better than I can."

Angelina winced and squinted at Priam. "What does being a lady have anything to do with that?"

"I don't know, Ange, it's probably not as weird coming from me." He rubbed the back of his neck.

She raised her brow. "Uh huh. To answer your question, I don't mind looking out for Yen'fay."

The hero let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank gods. Thank you, Ange."

"But that doesn't mean our discussion about me being a woman and comforting has ended." Angelina crossed her arms and smirked at Priam. "Don't think you've wormed your way out of that—wait a second!" The hero had spurred his horse into a canter and sprinted around the group. Two could play this game. "Get back here! I'm not done talking to you!" Her horse leapt after Priam's steed, barreling through the rain. She whipped past the group, laughing loudly as she did so. If the tactician strained her ears, she could faintly hear Priam's deep laugh. Something told her he could care less about their conversation and he just ran off for the hell of it. Even if it wasn't the case, Angie wasn't going to annoy him more about the topic. After all, it would be much more fun to gloat about she beat him in a race.

**(MY STARS AND GARTERS, OVER ONE THOUSAND VIEWS ( So I guess I'm not the only one who likes this pairing)?! Thank you, my fellow readers and writers, this means the world to me. I can't believe this sucker has been around a little more than a month. Hot damn, I never thought it would pick up this much interest. I'm going to apologize in advance that these two are going to be as stubborn as frick about romance. I don't even know when we are going to hit C-support(soon, most likely), but man, am I excited about this. See you cool cats later! ~ Darkargo)**


	6. Chapter 6

"You see? This is what happens when no one listens to me." Lissa carefully bound the tactician's arm with bandages. If her friend hadn't broken her shoulder, the cleric would have punched her in the shoulder. "Angie, you should know better than to gallop of in the rain."

Angelina grunted in pain and tilted her head back. "I know, I know…"

"No, you don't, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." Lissa huffed. "You keep doing this to yourself, and if you keep at it, you might end up with more than just damaged pride." Her tone softened. "At least you are alright. I was so worried that you were crushed beneath your horse."

While her shoulder was broken, the tactician was more than thankful that she was alive. Her horse slipped on the mud and fell onto its left side. Angelina's shoulder was the first part of her body to smash into the ground. Her leg, which miraculously wasn't shattered, was stuck under her horse as it tried to stand. The animal flailed a good bit before it finally staggered to its feet. Lissa and Libra administered first aid to Angie, and moved her to one of the wagons. Things were pretty hazy after that. She must have passed out some time during after they loaded her in. When she awoke, they were still in the wagon, but the group was no longer marching.

Angelina could hear the rain splattering on the wagon's covering. "I'm so sorry." Her friend sat on the bedroll and sighed.

"Aren't you the tactician? Shouldn't you be at least a little bit smarter than this?"

She rolled her eyes, "Probably, but I'm still prone to making mistakes. And besides, I need to let lose every once in a while." Angelina found it hard to think. She wanted to lean over, but her shoulder throbbed painfully as she tried to do so. "Ugh, I need to lie down." She rubbed her temple.

Lissa helped her patient lay comfortably on the bedroll. She briefly muttered something about camp being set up soon. Angie was too drained to make out most of what the war cleric was saying. Exhaustion rolled over her like a wave on the shore.

* * *

When she awoke, it was considerably lighter in the wagon. It must have been morning. Slowly, Angelina sat up on the bedroll, trying to ignore the shooting pain that shot up her shoulder. Hot tears beaded on the corners of her eyes. Her chest was heaving as she fought the urge to cry. It was her own damn fault. She shouldn't have charged after Priam. Even with the intensive healing she would receive, it would still take several weeks to be back in shape. She would be resigned from the battle field and be seated on the back of a wagon. Angelina had no idea what she would do during this time. Yes, she could work on her tactics, but she had a lot more free time available. She could always pester Sumia about borrowing some of her books; of course Angie had read most of Sumia's collection. The tactician now had to hunker down and prepare for her inevitable boredom. She was real thrilled about that.

Angelina never thought getting up would be a near impossible task. Her left leg refused to cooperate and ached painfully as she tried to stand. She cried out as she stubbornly bent her knee and attempted to push herself up. Her breathing became labored as she struggled to get on her feet.

"Good gods, Ange! You're going to kill yourself." Angelina looked up tiredly to see Priam sticking his head in the wagon. "You're going to make it worse." He climbed into the back of the wagon and knelt beside her. "Just sit down, Ange, and do yourself a favor."

"I'm so sorry." She warbled. "I shouldn't have come after you."

Priam made himself more comfortable on the floor. "Shoot, Ange, I didn't think you would follow me." He rubbed his neck. "I feel bad; I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Heh, it was worth it, though." She closed her eyes, imagining the few moments of her horse reaching top speed. "It felt like it was flying." Priam was briefly surprised at her response before grinning.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it? Maybe we can do it again when you're better."

She chuckled softly as she examined her arm. "So how have things been?" Priam exhaled through his nose.

"After I got chewed out by a few people, we stopped for a break. It was pretty clear we wouldn't find the best grounds for camp anytime soon, so we all turned in early." He rubbed his nose. "You were pretty bad for the first few days. It was best to keep you asleep because you wouldn't feel too much of the pain." Priam closed his mouth when Angelina held up her hand.

"Wait, I've been out for how many days?"

Priam wrinkled his nose and shrugged. "I don't know, about a week or so." He pretended not to notice her shocked expression. "We made camp yesterday, but we weren't sure about moving you. I guess if you are still in this much pain, putting you in a tent is out of the question."

"gods I feel so useless." She laid back down on her bedroll. "I feel like a fragile little biscuit." Angie gesticulated with her right hand. "If I so much get _breathed _on, I fall apart."

Priam snorted, amused with her comparison. "Well, I'm just here on guard duty. Lissa or one of the other clerics should be back in a bit. I can't chat with you for long, but I'll find you some company."

She perked up at the thought of having someone to talk to. "Really? You'd do that for me?" The tactician beamed at Priam while he rose to his feet.

"Are you kidding?" He rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Of course I'd do that for you. It's my own damn fault for getting you in this mess." The hero pointed at her. "Don't argue with me Ange. I know we're both stubborn, I don't need to make a competition out of this."

"Uh huh," She taunted. "That's because you're afraid of defeat." Angelina laughed when he scowled back at her and stormed out. It was hilariously how easily provoked Priam could get. She bet if he didn't have guard duty, the two of them would bicker until the sun went down.

Angie wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard the gentle creak in the floor boards. She propped herself up on her good elbow to see Yen'fay kneeling beside her. The tactician smiled at Yen'fay and secretly cursed Priam. He did this one purpose. She realized accepting his request allowed him to throw the older swordsmaster at her whenever he pleased. If she complained about it, Priam would remind her of her promise to look out for Yen'fay. Angelina had to hand it to him, though. Priam may have not been the smartest in the bunch, but he did have his finer moments.

"I hope I am not disturbing you." He sat cross legged next to the bedroll.

She laid back down on her right side. Her back faced him as she spoke, "You're fine, although there's not much I can offer you." Angelina gritted her teeth. The pain was persistent and demanded her full attention.

"Are you in any pain?"

She didn't respond.

"Angelina, answer my question." There was an edge to his voice. "The entire camp is concerned about your welfare. You cannot afford to be so stubborn."

Angelina wanted nothing more than to pester him about what bothered him all those nights ago. It was truly a shame that she did not have the energy to quarrel with him. She wondered if he had forgotten about it by now, or maybe it still hung over his head. She planned to fight with him another day, but for now, she would give in.

"Yeah." She said defeatedly. "I'm in a lot of pain." The wagon creaked again. She peeked over her shoulder to see that Yen'fay was gone. Angelina sighed and tried to get comfortable on the bedroll. She had the sinking feeling it was going to be a long day.

"And it did not cross your mind to find her a healer first?" Priam was taken aback by the harshness of Yen'fay's tone. The older swordsman leered over him with a scowl deeply etched on his face.

"She didn't say she was in pain, Yen'fay." He folded his arms across his chest. "I wasn't going to ask her how she felt because I know she hates being coddled."

"Asking such a simple question does not mean you are 'coddling' her." Yen'fay stated coldly. "Now go find her a healer. I am in no mood to do your task." He dipped back into the covered wagon and sat wordlessly beside the tactician. His nostrils flared with anger as he composed himself. It was hard for him not to be bested by his emotions. Yen'fay was infuriated that Priam hadn't fetched a healer sooner. How could he choose to let someone be tortured by their own body and not provide any aid? It was maddening.

"Are you okay?" Angelina was looking at him from over her shoulder. "You keep sighing like someone's pissed you off."

"You are very observant, Angelina." He tilted his head forward. "I am furious that Priam left you in this state without providing you assistance."

"He said someone was coming by soon, I'm not sure how long ago that was. It's very hard to keep track of time in here…" She trailed off. "You really don't have to be here, you know. You probably have something more important to do than play nanny." Angelina tried to shrug. "I'm not going to be much fun."

"That was not my expectation, Angelina."

"Well," She said nervously. " I don't know what to do."

"If you'd prefer someone else's presence, I can get them for you." He wasn't trying to be rude; Yen'fay just wanted the tactician to be comfortable. Injuries like hers restricted a large portion of her freedom, and knowing that she was incredibly active, it must have been difficult for her to be bedridden.

Angelina shifted uneasily under the blankets. "No, I don't want you to go, I just don't know what to talk about with you. That's all." She hissed sharply in pain as she tried to move her left leg in a comfortable position. "You probably know more about what's going on with the camp, so I don't have any interesting to tell you."

"You told me a few weeks ago that you have a large quantity of tea." He rested his hands on his knees. "We both have a mutual interest in tea, Angelina, would you like to talk about it?" It was start, albeit an awkward one, but at least she would have something other than her broken bones to think about.

"Well what kind of tea do you like, then?" Her tone seemed considerably lighter than before.

"While I enjoy many of the different varieties of tea, I am very fond of white tea." He couldn't remember the last time he had his favorite blend. It felt like eons ago since he last picked up a cup of tea. Thankfully, his mind had imprinted its soothing flavor on his mind. Even if years had gone by without drinking it, he could never forget its taste.

"What's it like? I've never heard of it."

"White tea is known for its mild and gentle taste. The tea is exceptionally delicate, and if steeped too long, it can quickly turn bitter. I am not surprised that you haven't heard of it. White tea is quite popular with the Chon'sin nobility, very rarely is it drunken in the homes of commoners." Yen'fay frowned. "The tea is expensive; even I did not drink frequently for that reason. I often reserved it for special occasions or when I simply needed a moment to relax." Now he wished he hadn't brought the subject of tea up. Yen'fay desired to have a steaming cup in his hands to drink as he talked. "The blend I enjoy is a mix of silver needles and jasmine leaves. Not only did it contain many medicinal properties, I found that it had a very soothing effect on my body."

Lissa entered before Angelina could respond. "Sorry to bother you two, I need to change Angelina's bandages." She smiled sweetly at Yen'fay. "Would you mind waiting outside? It's going to be a while." The older swordsman dipped his head politely and exited the covered wagon. The moment he left, Lissa grinned wickedly at Angie. "So what was that about?"

"What?" The injured tactician sat up slowly, allowing Lissa to unwrap the bandages. Lissa rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't play dumb with me, Angie, why was he in here?"

She lowered her eyelids. "We were talking about tea, Lissa. There was nothing more than that." She said flatly.

"Pfft, yeah right." The war cleric carefully removed the old bandages and tossed them in a nearby bucket. Angelina was about to fight back, when her eyes fell upon her shoulder. She had to fight the urge to vomit and abruptly looked away. Her bruised skin was a myriad of red and purple hues. It was like looking a decaying apple. She didn't even want to think what her leg looked like. Lissa was unfazed by the gruesome sight and hummed softly as she placed a deep green salve on Angelina's shoulder.

"Ow!" She jerked away from Lissa, causing herself more pain than intended.

Lissa stuck out arms, "Well what did you except it to do? I know it hurts at first, but it feels all soothing and stuff afterwards. And it even helps speed up the process of healing your shoulder." Begrudgingly, Angelina allowed her friend to continue applying the medicine. "Your leg is much better than your shoulder, though, if that makes you feel better."

"Really?" Lissa nodded her head.

"Yeah, you broke shoulder, but not your leg. It was bruised pretty bad and swollen, too. The swelling's gone done considerably and the discoloration is mostly cleared up. It's a lot easier to heal than your shoulder." Lissa puffed her cheeks out. "You broke the bone connecting to your shoulder in several places, so that's why it hurts a lot."

"How long do you think it will take to heal?" Angelina tried to distract herself by looking at anything other than her nasty shoulder.

"Even with daily healing, it may take up to several weeks at the most." Lissa reached over and picked up her staff. "Now hold still, Angie." As the cleric muttered something under her breath, Angelina felt something tighten in her arm. "I'll be by later with some food for you." The war cleric rummaged through her bag and withdrew some fresh bandages. "I'll give you some alone time with Yen'fay." She winked at Angie, who smacked her on the head. "Oh come on, Angie, I'm just teasing." Lissa looped the strips of cloth around Aneglina's arm.

"Uh huh, I remember correctly that it was you who kept trying to get me with someone of the male variety." She smirked. "Are you sure this isn't an echo of the past? They say history repeats itself." Lissa stuck her tongue out and pulled back the blanket to tend Angie's leg.

"Can you bend it?" She gingerly prodded Angelina's leg with her finger. The war cleric jerked her hand back as Angie yelped. "Ooookay, I guess not." Her leg didn't require any bandages, but it still needed the stinging salve. The tactician managed to clamp her mouth shut. More medicine was used for her leg, so she had to bear with the pain longer. Once her leg was slathered with the green ooze, Lissa carefully draped a towel over it, and cautiously tucked Angelina in. "I'll get you some more pillows for you to prop yourself up on." Lissa patted Angelina's head. "I'll be back in a bit."

The younger princess clamored out of the wagon, briefly leaving Angelina alone. The tactician sighed and tried to sit without hurting herself. She ended up bending her right leg and leaning forward a bit to help stabilize her position. It was a bit difficult to sit up without something against her back. As she struggled to make herself comfortable, she heard a voice from outside the wagon.

"I am allowed to enter?" Angelina was surprised to hear Yen'fay. She thought he might have wandered off to do something else. Had he waited patiently outside this entire time? Good gravy, this man was patient.

"Yeah, you can." She smiled tiredly at him as he ducked into the wagon. His brow furrowed when he saw her strange sitting position. "It's a bit hard to sit any other way. Lissa's going to get some things to help me sit up." Yen'fay merely nodded and took his place next to her. "So, white tea, huh? That sounds really good." Her right hand clutched the bedroll to steady herself. "Maybe I can try it someday."

"Are there any specific blends you prefer?"

Angelina cocked her head to the right. "Geez, that's a tough question, but I really like Rooibos tea."

"And where exactly does this tea come from?" Yen'fay placed his hands in his lap. "I've never heard of it before."

"It's not native to Valm, you see. This tea originates from the western coast of Plegia, so unless you've traveled there, you probably won't know about it." She snapped her fingers. "I have some in my stuff if you want to try it, although," Her smile wavered. "I'm not sure you would like it."

"What makes you think I won't like it?"

"It's very different from the teas served in Chon'sin. Rooibos teas are typically very fruity, both in taste and in aroma. The flavors are strong, but you can pick up some nice under tones. Oh, and they can be spicy." She tapped her chin. "I don't think I'm forgetting anything. Obviously, if you leave the tea in too long, it gets over powering." Angelina chuckled softly. "There was this one time Sumia left the tea leaves in way too long, and she had to spit it out. And since Rooibos tea typically gives the water a nice red color, Lissa thought Sumia was spitting up blood." She was pretty sure she caught Yen'fay smiling.

"I wouldn't mind trying it some time." He said as Lissa re-entered the wagon. "Now if you excuse me, Angelina, I must bid you farewell." His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "I have patrol duty tonight and I must prepare for it."

"I really appreciate you coming by, Yen'fay. I hope you have a good evening."

He bowed to her and to Lissa and left the wagon.

"What's with that silly grin on your face?" Lissa asked while she arranged the pillows behind Angelina's back.

"You remember that time you thought Sumia spat up blood?" Lissa glared at Angie, who howled with laughter upon seeing her face.

"That was one time." She pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Did you share that with him?"

Angelina had her right hand firmly clamped over her mouth in a feeble attempt to stop laughing.

"You better watch out, Angie." Lissa said causally as she brushed off her shoulders. "You never know when a terrible frog might show up."

**(*Ecstatic bird noises* Whoo! I got this chapter done! Anyway in case you are all curious what type of shoulder trauma Angie has, it's called _Proximal Humerus Fracture. _Sounds awful, doesn't it? Fun stuff. Right, moving on. I don't have much to say, other than thank you four your constant support. Ha, get it? I said 'support'. Ha ha-somebody stop me. Until we meet again! ~ Darkargo)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

" '…Jenna Davenport was a lady of fine and noble breeding. She was clever, beautiful, and handsomely rich.'" Angelina looked up the book in her lap. "You said this was going to be a funny book, Sumia." Her lips curled into a frown. "All I've read so far is about Miss Davenport's extensive family history. I hardly see the humor in it."

Sumia waved her hand repeatedly, "No, it's funny! Just keep reading! This part is just about the set up." The Pegasus rider sat across from the tactician, clutching a pillow close to her chest.

"Yeah! Go on, Angie!" Nowi piped from her seat next to Angelina. "It's a classic!"

The tactician shrugged her good shoulder and continued to read out loud.

Angelina had missed hanging out with her comrades. Even if she was surrounded by them every day, she wasn't able to physically be with them. Her injuries still confined her to the wagon, so she was unable to spend time with them like she did before. While everyone came by to visit, it wasn't the same as training or eating with them. Angelina began to miss tireless drills and tasteless meals, things that she often detested. Somehow, her friends managed to incorporate small gatherings like these to ease her loneliness. They weren't as frequent as she liked, but they made her feel better none the less.

She hadn't gotten far in the first chapter when Frederick appeared in the wagon's entrance. "Risen have been spotted near the town, I need all of you to prep for battle."

"Aw," Nowi pouted. "But we haven't even finished the first chapter!"

"We can finish it when we come back." Sumia rose to her feet. Both she and Nowi hustled out of the wagon, hastily shouting their good byes to their bed ridden friend.

"I'll be here." Angelina said sadly, closing the book. She listened to the chorus of shouts and whinnies of her comrades taking off. Soon, a hush fell over the camp. Angelina was alone again.

* * *

At last, the esteemed tactician was alone and defenseless. Slowly peering out from under a wagon like a serpent emerging from its hole, an assassin crept out. The camp was quiet now. Only a handful of individuals remained, giving the assassin the perfect window to nab the tactician. Even if there weren't too many people, the assassin knew better than to linger out in the open too long. Upon hearing the faint tread of footsteps, he retreated under the wagon and squatted in the mud.

The owner of the footsteps appeared moments later. The assassin had never seen such well-kept boots. They were black trimmed with gold. The assassin thought it was odd to see such fine footwear out here, especially during the war time. The person paused briefly in front of the wagon before ambling off. Once the assassin was certain the person was gone, he slipped out from under the wagon again and moved toward the back of the wagon. He peeked into the wagon to see Angelina attempting to the read the book on her lap. Her face was etched with confusion as she scanned the pages.

The assassin bobbed back down when she glanced in his direction. The assassin was impatient. Angelina's sudden injury had caused a major setback in their plans. On the plus side, she was wounded. The tactician wouldn't be putting up much of a fight—

The assassin let out a scream as a thick blade cut into his arm, pinning him to the wagon. Blood—his blood—splattered onto the wagon and his face.

"What's going on out there?" The tactician cried out.

"Stay where you are, Angelina," The assassin's attacker responded as they slid their blade out of the assassin's arm. The assassin shriveled up into a pathetic ball, clenching his gored arm. As he feebly rocked on the ground, he opened his eyes to see the shining boots from earlier. Suddenly, the boots curled under their owner as they crouched before the assassin. The owner scrutinized the assassin.

"Don't kill him, Yen'fay."

The assassin turned his head skyward and saw the tactician leaning over the back of the wagon. He left out an exasperated moan. He was this close to stealing her, and to see her dangle before him was torture. He writhed in pain while the two of them observed him.

"What should we do?" The tactician spoke softly as if not to spook him.

The owner of the fancy boots had no qualms speaking normally." 'Twould be best if we questioned him."

The tactician vanished into the wagon. "I think there are some bandages in here." He could hear her shuffling about the wagon. Would he even last that long? The assassin had lost quite a bit of blood.

"Here, Yen'fay."

The assassin felt light headed as Yen'fay carefully bound his arm. Their voices began to mingle as he faded into darkness. He smiled to himself before he passed out. He hadn't failed just yet.

* * *

"You need to sit down." Yen'fay placed the unconscious assassin on the floor, leaning him against the wagon siding. Angelina, who wobbled uneasily on her feet, hovered behind him. "If you fall, you might injure yourself further." He looked over his shoulder. "And from what I have heard, you cannot stand being incapacitated."

"A little curiosity never killed anybody, Yen'fay." Angelina quipped. She backed up as he rose to his feet.

He smirked at her, "Aye, you speak the famous last words of many."

Angelina snickered before turning attention back to the wounded assassin. "What are we going to do with him?"

"If the others do not return soon, I fear he might perish." Yen'fay noticed blood smeared on her hand. "He did lose a concerning amount of blood and I am no master in the arts of healing."

Angelina teetered awkwardly as she made her way back to her nest of blankets and pillows. "Well, you stopped him from bleeding. That's something, right?"

"I suppose."

There was a hiccup of silence as Angelina situated herself on the bedroll. "So, uh, what do we do now? Are you going to move him to another place, or are you going to keep him here with me?"

"I believe he is quite harmless at the moment." Yen'fay peered out of the wagon. "I would like to keep him here only because I could keep an eye on you both." His hand clutched the hilt of his golden sword. "I do not know if there are others are lurking about, and putting any distance between you and myself would be a dangerous gamble. When the others come back, they will take care of him."

A light pattering sound emanated from the roof of the wagon. It was raining. Angelina gazed outside the opening of the wagon. She blew her bangs out of her face. "I could go for some tea right now."

"Aye, that would be pleasant."

"Hey Yen'fay," She watched him pace back in forth.

"Yes?"

"What…what made you uncomfortable that night?" She said hesitantly.

"What do you mean?"

The tactician began slowly, "You know, that night we attacked the bandits." Angelina observed him carefully. "There was something off about you."

Yen'fay went silent. He had not expected her to remember. The older swordsman tensed before speaking up, "I would prefer not to talk about it." Hopefully that would suffice her hunger for information.

She, too, went quiet, but for a different reason. She was formulating the proper way to ask again. "I'm worried about you, Yen'fay." Angelina balled her good hand into a fist. "And I want to help you out."

"'Tis not something you should concern yourself with."

"It does concern me, Yen'fay!" Angelina protested. "I am the tactician—"

He hissed coldly, "Your position does not grant you the ability to pry into my personal affairs." Yen'fay glared at her from over his shoulder. "Respect my desire to keep some of my secrets to myself."

She huffed in response. "How then? How on earth can I do that after I saw what happened?" Angelina gritted her teeth. "You're right; being tactician doesn't allow me to know everyone's dirt, but I as a person cannot turn a blind eye to what's going on with you."

She knew he was going to start putting up walls soon, if he hadn't already. This is where things got tricky. If she pushed too little, the process would repeat later on. If she pushed too hard, he might turn away from her altogether. Angelina didn't want to hurt him, though. She knew he was harboring a ridiculous amount of guilt and it wasn't healthy for him to hold it all in. He was probably coping without her, which was totally fine, but she didn't think anyone was helping him with the process. Even if he didn't want anyone else to aid him, Yen'fay needed support.

Yen'fay was stewing quietly when she lurched to her feet. She needed to do this delicately, "There are some things you can't fight alone, Yen'fay. Sometimes you need help." Angelina swayed on her feet as she attempted to most of her weight on one foot. "And that help may or may not come from me. It might come from Priam, or Chrom, or anybody in the Shepherds." She limped over to him before slowly placing her hand on his back. His black armor was smooth and slightly warm to the touch. "A lot of us care and respect you, Yen'fay, and we want you to know that you can trust us. "You aren't some blade that we send out to chop Risen in half, y'know."

"As I have told you in the past, I am not fit for human company." He said tiredly, as if he had rehearsed a dull phrase over and over. "I may have allies, but what you offer is something I cannot accept."

"But—"

He gently removed her hand from his back, "There are some things that cannot be healed, Angelina. I have no desire to fix the damage done to me." Yen'fay lifted his chin upon hearing the rest of Shepherds returning. "I am grateful for your concern; however, you need to understand that what you want will never come to fruition."

She could almost hear the heavy door's to the gate closing before her. Angelina pulled away from him and sighed deeply. "…If that's what you want, then I guess I won't pester you anymore about it." Crestfallen, she sank back onto her bedroll. "It sounds like you have everything figured out. I'm sorry for thinking that I could help you." She stared at her legs when he walked past her.

Yen'fay gingerly lifted the assassin off the ground. "I will take leave of you now, Angelina. Chrom will decide what to do with your assailant." He watched the tactician merely nod her head. "Angelina," He began slowly. "While I do not deserve your support, I would like to continue to be your ally."

She looked up from her knees, her face crinkled from confusion. "You…what?"

"I would like to continue being your ally," He spoke louder. Yen'fay heard her sniff. Was she crying? He did not understand. He thought he hadn't said anything distasteful or harsh toward her.

Angelina dropped her gaze. "I…I don't know." Her voice quivered. She pulled several of the blankets around her, shying away from him. "Just go and tell Chrom what happened, I need to think…"

The wagon boards creaked as Yen'fay left with the assassin over his shoulder.

_I can't do this._ She leaned against the side of the wagon. _I just can't. This is too much for me. _The tactician closed her eyes. _But Say'ri and Priam both wanted me to do this. Should I have said no? I realized this task wasn't going to be easy, and yet I agreed to do it. Why on earth does he have to be like this? He's purposely hurting himself, and all I can do is just sit there and watch. How can he refuse to move on? He's going to kill himself over this—_ She shook her head. _No, I believe that there is some part of him that wants to let go of his past. There has to be! Maybe it's hidden underneath all the pain he's suffering. _Angelina frowned. _Or maybe I'm being delusional about this and hoping for something that doesn't exist. It doesn't matter what I want to do, he doesn't want my help and I have to respect that. I just hope this is what he truly wants._

**(BLOOD AND THUNDER, this was a bitch to write. There was like eight different ways I wanted this chapter to go, but I'm really happy with the way it turned out. HOLY SWISS CHEESE, there are so many of you who like this story! I feel so thrilled to see that you guys read this. You all are my senpais, so thank you for noticing me. I really do like hearing from you guys, especially critique, so if something is really wrong or really great, please let me know. Until next time! ~ Darkargo)**


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